In the spirit of Halloween, several UTRGV departments will celebrate with various events for the university community.
TODAY
Lecturer III Marianita Escamilla’s English 1301 writing class, is hosting the first Zombie Scavenger Hunt starting at 6 p.m. on the Chapel lawn on the Edinburg campus.
As reported by The Rider Oct. 21, its purpose is to find the cure for the zombie apocalypse. Students are going to be stationed at different areas on campus and solve a series of riddles and activities at each spot to have them progress to the next step.
Escamilla said the maximum number of people per team is four, but students can participate alone as well.
For entry to the scavenger hunt, students must provide four non-perishable food items per person, and for an entry into the raffle, two additional non-perishable food items. She said there are no limits for entries to the raffle.
TUESDAY
A Fall Festival hosted by the Campus Activities Board will take place at 4 p.m. on the Student Union lawn on the Brownsville campus.
Crystal Rodriguez, CAB student assistant, said the purpose of the event is to get students involved and celebrate the fall festivity.
She said CAB is trying to make the event a tradition and it will be the first time it will take place on the Brownsville campus.
“We have madness in Edinburg and [CAB] wanted to even out the event, also having some exposure for Student Involvement, and we thought it was fair to bring the fall festival here [to Brownsville],” Rodriguez said.
She said the event will include prizes, games, a pumpkin patch, inflatables and snacks.
A Monster Movie Marathon will take place from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the PlainsCapital Bank Theater in the Student Union on the Edinburg campus.
The movies that are showing are “The Wolf Man,” “Dracula,” “Frankenstein,” “The Mummy,” “The Creature from the Black Lagoon,” “Them!” and “Night of the Living Dead” with 30-minute breaks between movies.
Students are encouraged to bring their ID for free snacks and an opportunity to win prizes.
The UTRGV Admissions and Recruitment department will host a Haunted Tour from 7 to 9:30 p.m. starting at the Main Courtyard on the Brownsville campus and at the same time in the Visitor’s Center Wednesday on the Edinburg campus.
THURSDAY
A costume contest will take place at noon in the Student Union on the Edinburg campus.
Student Union Event Manager Mabel Cortina-Matos said this event allows a platform for students to dress up on Halloween.
“It’s just one of those amazing Halloween traditions that allows for students to self-express and let loose,” Cortina-Matos said. “And it’s pretty amazing because some of our students are really into cosplay and then there’s a lot of our students that are just into Halloween and they like to make their own Halloween outfits. Some of our winners, a lot of our winners, have been students who made their own Halloween costumes. So that’s one of the most amazing parts about this event, is watching the students be creative and show us what they’re capable of.”
She encourages students to attend for a fun and memorable time at the university.
In celebration of Halloween, the Student Union will also give out free candy starting at 12:15 p.m. on the veranda in Brownsville.
FRIDAY
The Department of Housing and Residence Life is holding a Day of the Dead Ball from 7 to 11 p.m. in the PlainsCapital Bank El Gran Salón on the Brownsville campus.
Lead resident assistant for Casa Bella Nayeli Garcia said the event is to educate students on what Día de Los Muertos is.
“It’s a fun baile, I would say dance but for some reason the term baile really captures what the event is about,” Garcia said. “It’s where students can come dressed up, we do have a presentation that explains why Día de Los Muertos is so important to the Latin-American culture and why it’s very different from the Halloween tradition, as well as we have an altar where students are encouraged to bring photos of loved ones that have passed away, so that way they can feel that they are being celebrated as well.”
She said students can expect free dinner, refreshments, a photobooth and games.
“This is a way of being proud of that culture and really celebrating the lives of those people that we’ve loved,” Garcia said.
